birch trees

Canadian birches remind me of my native Scottish trees; they were just one of the many things that made this wonderful new country feel like home. Like me they are a hardy northern species that thrives best in cooler climates.

The process begins with photographing bare birch trunks in the winter, snowshoeing around Ontario and Quebec. After processing and printing the photos, I use a process that transfers the ink directly into the paint on the canvas. Using brushes, rollers and sponges, I paint in the foliage on the prepared canvas.

These paintings reflect on the contrast between the solid, unchanging permanence of the trunks and the ever-changing, fleeting foliage.